Looking back, that day had a strange feeling from the morning.
As soon as I opened my eyes, the unusually hot and humid air filled my lungs. The weather, which had been sultry for days, was not letting up and was instead gaining intensity day by day.
It was a deadly abnormal climate.
As summer passed and autumn approached, it was time to gradually prepare for the harvest. A heatwave arriving at this point, just before the harvest, was certainly unwelcome.
It seemed that the Empire was already pondering various relief measures. How far must the Emperor had discussed alternative measures with a few scholars while staying at the Academy?
Nevertheless, something felt different today.
The temperature had clearly risen compared to the day before. No matter how unpredictable the weather was, such an overt change was enough to instill a sense of unease.
It did not take long for this instinct to turn into certainty.
Immediately after finishing my wash and stepping out of the room.
“……What is this?”
I unconsciously emitted a sound, unsure if it was an exclamation or a sigh.
The area in front of my door was a complete mess. Starting with flowers, various colored envelopes were strewn all over, and on some notes, chilling bl**d-red letters peeked through.
The contents varied from note to note.
“I will love you with my life, Senior Ian.”
“Just d*e.”
“Every time I see the moon and stars, I think of that day. Do you remember the homecoming ritual?”
“Aren’t you curious how far your luck will last?”
“The principle of the world is consistent; the hot always longs for the cold. In that desire, the biological limitations of gender sometimes do not exist.”
“Don’t get conceited; I was the one who liked him first. She is no woman that someone like you should covet.”
As I read several lines, my hand instinctively ripped the notes apart.
With a sigh, I muttered in irritation.
“This is insane…”
It was a statement that dismissed my feelings.
It was clear to anyone that this was not a normal situation.
Suddenly, the dormitory entrance was plastered with letters and notes, and the contents were contradictory.
A single memory flashed through my mind.
When was it? It was around the time just before the homecoming ritual.
The “me” from the future had openly provoked Princess Shi-en. After that, my reputation plummeted, and violence against me and those around me ensued.
Fortunately, unlike back then, it seemed that public sentiment was divided this time.
There appeared to be as many people supporting me as there were those who despised me. Still, I felt reassured that there wouldn’t be the same kind of one-sided ostracism as before, just as I noticed another note on the ground.
“Senior, it must be hard to deal with women you don’t even like, right? Let me help you out. If I get rid of those women, then I could stand in that position, right?”
“It’s a disgrace for a noble to deal with these worthless humans one by one. Why are you still keeping them around? Ah, must I step in for you?”
A hollow laugh escaped my lips.
Surely, such problems wouldn’t be resolved that easily.
I immediately stomped on the ground and hurriedly left the dormitory. I felt the gaze of many watching me, but securing the safety of my acquaintances took precedence.
Those who liked me, as much as those who hated me, could target my precious people!
It was truly the worst.
As I hurriedly descended the stairs, the previous day’s scene flashed through my mind.
The “barrier” that the vampire had set.
I could only conceive that it had some sort of influence. Who would have thought that a moment of carelessness would lead to such consequences?
Even if I wasn’t myself, it wouldn’t have been easy to overcome the malice of the public.
It wasn’t like I could keep my precious people close indefinitely.
The only solution was to resolve this situation quickly.
How on earth?
I wracked my brain, but my mind was limited in its strategies.
The only two people worth consulting in such a situation were:
First, my friend “Reto Ainstern,” undoubtedly the strategist I trusted the most.
And the other one was, Princess Shi-en. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, she was quite clever.
Of course, neither of those paths would be smooth.
“Y-You, I love you, Senior Fercurus! Please accept my feelings!”
The confession from a junior whose name I didn’t even know was just the beginning.
“What are you saying… Sir Fercurus, just ignore that gloomy-looking woman. You must have seen my face at least once? It was on the very day of the homecoming ritual…”
“Tsk, tsk, women sure talk a lot.”
The sound of countless people buzzing surrounded me like a tide.
After a while of being lost in thought, I groaned and pressed my forehead.
“Ian Fercurus, will you not create a moment just for us? You must be tired of dealing with women who only chatter…”
“Shut up, you queer!”
“…What?”
“Ah, how vulgar! So loud! Everyone, please, just be quiet…!”
As the crowd that had been clustered together started shouting without restraint, it became a truly chaotic scene.
It was a sight one would expect to find only in a cheap pulp novel.
And it was only natural that all eyes were focused on the uproar that had erupted since dawn.
The buzzing noise was giving me a splitting headache.
“What’s that guy?”
“Seems the rumors of him being a womanizer are true. Tsk, tsk, it’s the women who fall for such a guy who are truly pathetic…”
“Ha, looks like luck smiled upon a low-ranking noble.”
“Naturally… But it seems they can’t manage their belongings, just as expected from a family without roots? Puhaha, ahaha!”
Criticism and mockery.
“You, you… I’ve seen you! Last year you clung to Senior Russo, right? Just a bimbo with a thing for older men?”
“N-Nonsense! I gave up on that long ago!”
“Seems love from a lowly family is cheap after all. Haha.”
“If you insult my family one more time…!”
Jealousy and malice.
Both were emotions that were hard to bear.
The atmosphere had already deteriorated beyond repair. It wasn’t surprising if violence erupted next.
How did it come to this?
I didn’t have the luxury to worry about such minor issues. The imperial secret garden, Celin’s disappearance, the vampire’s schemes.
There was a lack of decisive clues that would tie all of this together.
At such a crucial juncture, petty love confessions held no interest for me; jealousy and rivalry could evoke no feelings within me.
It was simply troublesome and irritating.
Meanwhile, the conflict was slowly reaching a boiling point, oblivious to my feelings.
With a sharp noise, a blade revealed its chilling edge.
“Do you honestly think you can survive after spewing such insults?”
“You dare to insult my noble love?!”
“Very well, very well. It’s better to clean up trash early… then in the end, the one left standing will have a chat with Sir Fercurus…!”
At that moment, just before the blades of rage clashed, I realized that I could no longer hold back.
With a clang, a sword flew into the air.
It was before anyone could assess the situation.
Thud! An elbow struck the solar plexus of a woman, causing her to emit a mangled groan as she rose onto her tiptoes. Soon after, the hand axe that knocked away the sword was firmly grasped again, regaining momentum.
The onslaught appeared like a mirage.
The opponents couldn’t even respond. They simply wore blank expressions, unable to comprehend the situation properly.
Clang, clang!
Following a crescent moon-like trajectory, several blades flew through the sky or embedded into the ground. Soon after, the sound of breathless gasps echoed continuously.
Cough! Ugh! Ack!
The flurry of attacks was faster than the sound. By the time the thrown hand axe returned to my hand, the students grasping their chests and necks tumbled to the ground like bundles of hay.
No one remained standing.
Only the spectators, wide-eyed and gaping from a distance, remained.
I took a deep breath and sent a settling gaze their way.
“Anyone else have something to say?”
It didn’t take long for the startled onlookers to scatter in every direction.
“Crazy b*stard,” someone muttered, leaving only the faint echo of insults lingering there.
At last, I clicked my tongue and took a step forward.
But there was still an unexpected person who clung to my ankle.
“…Onii-chan!”
At the sound of a voice coming from somewhere, I glanced back over my shoulder.
With black hair and golden eyes.
The curves that stood out even through her white dress showed that the girl’s development was healthy. I remembered her as frail and skinny during her childhood, and I suddenly felt relieved.
A flush of color rose to my face as I recognized her identity.
“Liya!”
However, today, Liya’s complexion seemed a bit strange.
The way she hurriedly grasped her skirt with both hands as she ran was already a cause for concern. My heart sank at the foreboding thought that there might be trouble for Liya.
Who would dare lay a hand on my sister?
I dashed towards Liya, scooping her up and spinning her around. Then, I patted her back as she gasped for breath, my voice laced with worry.
“Are you okay, Liya? What on earth is going on?”
“O-Onii-chan… s-some strange people attacked the store.”
Whether it was anger or confusion, I too felt my body stiffen under a sensation I could not identify. Liya looked up at me with tear-filled eyes.
“They were calling your name… I don’t know, I’m scared… Most of them were women. A-Ah! And they were wearing academy uniforms…!”
“Goddammit.”
I bestowed another curse, marking today as the umpteenth time I’d done so, and quickly moved my hands to my waist.
I couldn’t believe the event I had been worried about was unfolding before me.
It was then.
A peculiar doubt crossed my mind.
Wasn’t the timing just too coincidental?
I was, after all, a brother who loved his sister dearly. In the midst of this sudden event, if something were to occur with Liya, my reason would no doubt falter.
That small sprout of doubt quickly translated into words.
“…Liya, is that really you?”
Liya blinked, seemingly confused by what I was saying.
She was always a charming girl, but I couldn’t let my guard down.
After all, I had once been fooled before.
“Is it okay for you to be wandering around like this? A woman who looks just like you has been wandering about…!”
“Ah, really!”
Liya didn’t even listen to my argument.
Instead, she merely stood on her tiptoes and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.
Then she puffed out her cheeks as if to imply she was angry. Yet, the faint blush on her cheeks could not be concealed.
“Is that enough? It means ‘I’ve missed you!’ What sister do you know who does this for her brother?”
Hmm, I nodded in agreement, realizing the truth of her words.
There was no way anyone but Liya would love her brother enough to kiss him without hesitation.
This was the most convincing proof there could be.
Above all, if I didn’t trust Liya, I wouldn’t know who else to trust.
A sweet, candy-like scent lingered where her lips had brushed past mine. I absentmindedly touched my lips with my hand, then smiled wryly as I asked.
“What’s that sweet smell?”
“A special gift for you, Onii-chan.”
With a confident smile, Liya replied.
She must be teasing me.
As I set aside my suspicions about Liya, I decided to pick up my pace.
In truth, I had already scanned her body with my mind the moment I made contact with her. To be honest, I couldn’t be sure I could clearly distinguish between my two sisters.
The only distinguishing method was to feel every corner of Liya’s body with my mind.
Fortunately, as I scanned her body, I found nothing unusual. Moreover, I could see through her interior, so for now, I could feel reassured.
Yes, I should trust her.
How could I live my life if I harbored doubts about everyone?
Just as I resolved myself and took a step forward.
Suddenly, a sharp pain struck my head like a bolt of lightning. The intense headache momentarily made my brow furrow.
I groaned, trying desperately to regain control of my body.
But it was already too late.
My body, which had been trembling like a newborn deer, finally collapsed to the ground. Even as my consciousness grew blurry, I desperately wracked my brain for the cause.
In the end, there was only one answer.
My bewildered gaze turned towards Liya. There she stood, with a faint smile on her lips.
“You… wh-what did you…?”
“This is all your fault.”
The sticky voice was reminiscent of someone else.
